The crew walked along the road under smoky moonlight, clearing brush from houses while flames licked trees in the distance. It’s a long way from home for Jake Sivertson, a Minnesotan working 16-hour days to help contain a record-settling blaze in California. But despite the distance and exhaustion, its exactly where he wants to be. “You’re working long hours, long days, working hard to get your little piece of the puzzle done so the big picture can get completed,” the engine boss trainee said in a phone interview. As California officials struggle with the Mendocino Complex Fire that’s scorched more than 450 square miles of northern forests, they have called on firefighters around the country